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Xu J, Zhang L, Ji Q, Ji P, Chen Y, Song M, Guo L. Nursing students' emotional empathy, emotional intelligence and higher education-related stress: a cross-sectional study. BMC Nurs 2023; 22:437. [PMID: 37981672 PMCID: PMC10658862 DOI: 10.1186/s12912-023-01607-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/14/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Nursing is one of the critically important disciplines in healthcare. Due to its complexity and specificity, nursing students often face additional higher education-related stress. However, there is less research on higher education-related stress among nursing students. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of emotional empathy and emotional intelligence on the dimensions of higher education-related stress among nursing students. METHODS This study utilized a multi-stage sampling design and was completed within the March-June 2023 period. A total of 1126 nursing students were recruited to complete the questionnaire. The self-administered questionnaire included the basic characteristics of the subjects, an emotional empathy scale, an emotional intelligence scale, and a higher education-related stress scale. One-way ANOVA/t-tests, correlation coefficients, and hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to explore the factors affecting higher education-related stress and the relationship between emotional empathy and emotional intelligence with the dimensions of higher education-related stress. RESULTS The mean (SD) scores of challenges and dissatisfaction dimensions of higher education-related stress among nursing students were 30.052 (7.466) and 8.270 (2.205), respectively. Emotional empathy was significantly and positively related to the challenges and dissatisfaction dimensions of higher education-related stress. Emotional intelligence was negatively correlated with the challenges dimension of higher education-related stress and positively correlated with the dissatisfaction dimension. Stratified multiple regression analyses revealed that nursing students' emotional empathy and emotional intelligence were significant predictors of the dimensions of higher education-related stress. CONCLUSION Overall, emotional empathy and emotional intelligence were significantly correlated with all dimensions of higher education-related stress. Consequently, in future interventions, the Chinese government and education sector can develop nursing students' ability to use emotional empathy and emotional intelligence rationally through emotional regulation strategies and emotional intelligence courses, to reduce the higher education-related stress they experience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jiashuang Xu
- School of Nursing, Liaoning Province, Jinzhou Medical University, No.40, Section 3, Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou City, P. R. China
| | - Lin Zhang
- Department of Internal Medicine Nursing, School of Nursing, Wannan Medical College, 22 Wenchang West Road, Higher Education ParkAn Hui Province, Wuhu City, P. R. China
| | - Qiqi Ji
- School of Nursing, Liaoning Province, Jinzhou Medical University, No.40, Section 3, Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou City, P. R. China
| | - Pengjuan Ji
- School of Nursing, Liaoning Province, Jinzhou Medical University, No.40, Section 3, Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou City, P. R. China
| | - Yian Chen
- School of Nursing, Liaoning Province, Jinzhou Medical University, No.40, Section 3, Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou City, P. R. China
| | - Miaojing Song
- School of Nursing, Liaoning Province, Jinzhou Medical University, No.40, Section 3, Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou City, P. R. China
| | - Leilei Guo
- School of Nursing, Liaoning Province, Jinzhou Medical University, No.40, Section 3, Songpo Road, Linghe District, Jinzhou City, P. R. China.
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Ohse L, Zimmermann J, Kerber A, Kampe L, Mohr J, Schierz R, Rentrop M, Dziobek I, Hörz-Sagstetter S. Impairments in Cognitive and Emotional Empathy as Markers of General versus Specific Personality Pathology. Psychopathology 2023; 57:136-148. [PMID: 37906996 DOI: 10.1159/000533861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2023] [Accepted: 08/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/02/2023]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The alternative model for personality disorders (AMPD) of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 5th edition (DSM-5) considers impairments in empathy a basic feature of personality disorders (PDs). In contrast, the AMPD pathological personality trait model and the categorical DSM-5 Section II PD model associate deficits in empathy to specific forms of personality pathology. The present study investigated to what extent impairments in cognitive and emotional empathy are markers of general versus specific personality pathology. METHODS In a clinical sample (n = 119), the Multifaceted Empathy Test was used to assess cognitive empathy, emotional empathy for positive emotions, and emotional empathy for negative emotions. Personality functioning, pathological personality traits, and DSM-5 Section II PDs were assessed via interviews and self-reports. Confirmatory factor analyses were applied to associate the three empathy facets with the three personality pathology approaches, each modeled with general personality pathology (common factor) and specific personality pathology (residuals of indicators). RESULTS Impairments in cognitive empathy and emotional empathy for positive emotions were significantly correlated with general personality pathology. All three empathy facets were also correlated to specific personality pathology when controlling for general personality pathology, respectively. Impairments in cognitive empathy were incrementally associated with identity and empathy (personality functioning), psychoticism (pathological personality traits), and paranoid and dependent PD (DSM-5 Section II PDs). Deficits in emotional empathy for positive emotions were incrementally associated with self-direction and intimacy (personality functioning) and detachment (pathological personality traits). Impairments in emotional empathy for negative emotions were incrementally associated with antagonism (pathological personality traits) and antisocial PD (DSM-5 Section II PDs). CONCLUSION The results suggest that impairments in cognitive empathy and emotional empathy for positive emotions, but not for negative emotions, are markers of general personality pathology, while deficits in the three empathy facets are also markers for specific personality pathology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludwig Ohse
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | | | - André Kerber
- Division of Clinical Psychological Intervention, Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Leonie Kampe
- Department for Psychological Diagnostic, International Psychoanalytic University Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Jil Mohr
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Robert Schierz
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Michael Rentrop
- KBO-Inn-Salzach-Klinikum Wasserburg/Inn, Wasserburg am Inn, Germany
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Isabel Dziobek
- Department of Clinical Psychology of Social Interaction, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Susanne Hörz-Sagstetter
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy, Psychologische Hochschule Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Odo VO, Ukeme WV, Nwanosike LC, Karatu BA, Urama SI, Nzenwaku JU. Moderating role of motivational preference in the relationship between attachment quality and emotional empathy among autistic caregivers. PSYCHOL HEALTH MED 2023; 28:867-875. [PMID: 34676797 DOI: 10.1080/13548506.2021.1990359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The study investigated the moderating role of motivational preference in the relationship between attachment quality and emotional empathy among sixty-five autistic caregivers (42 males and 23 females). Participants were drawn from Therapeutic Inclusive Nursery, Primary, and Secondary School in Abakpa Nike, Enugu State, Nigeria. Attachment Quality Scale, Work Preference Inventory Scale, and Emotional Empathy Scale were used in the study. Hayes PROCESS macro regression-based, path-analytical framework was employed to analyse the data. Motivational preference and the four dimensions of attachment quality predicted emotional empathy. Motivational preference did not moderate the relationship between security, avoidance and ambivalent worry dimensions of attachment quality and emotional empathy. Motivational preference moderated the relationship between ambivalent merger and emotional empathy (β = -.14, t = -3.15, p = <.05). Ambivalent merger predicted emotional empathy for those with low motivational preference (β = 7.22, p = <.05), moderate motivational preference (β = 3.07, p = < .05), and for those with high motivational preference (β = 1.01, p = <.05). Implications and limitations of the findings were discussed and suggestions for further studies were made.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victor O Odo
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | - Willie V Ukeme
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | - Louisa C Nwanosike
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nsukka, Nigeria
| | - Baba A Karatu
- Department of Psychology, Federal University, Gashua, Gashua, Nigeria
| | - Sabina I Urama
- Department of Psychology, University of Calabar Teaching Hospital, Calabar, Nigeria
| | - Joy U Nzenwaku
- Department of Psychology, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, Nsukka, Nigeria
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Zhang W, Zhuo S, Li X, Peng W. Autistic Traits and Empathy for Others' Pain Among the General Population: Test of the Mediating Effects of First-Hand Pain Sensitivity. J Autism Dev Disord 2022; 53:2006-2020. [PMID: 35217943 DOI: 10.1007/s10803-022-05471-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 01/30/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are characterized by reduced pain empathy-a process that is grounded in first-hand pain perception. Because autistic traits are continuously distributed in the general population, we hypothesized that first-hand pain sensitivity would mediate the link between autistic traits and pain empathy. After controlling for alexithymia, higher autistic traits were associated with lower cognitive and emotional empathy in response to others' pain, as well as lower sensitivity to cold and heat pain (higher cold pain tolerance and lower laser heat pain-intensity ratings). Importantly, pain sensitivity fully mediated the link between autistic traits and pain empathy. These findings highlight the role of atypical first-hand pain sensitivity in the lack of pain empathy observed in people with high autistic traits or ASD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyun Zhang
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Nanhai Ave 3688, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, China
| | - Shiwei Zhuo
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Nanhai Ave 3688, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, China
| | - Xiaoyun Li
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Nanhai Ave 3688, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, China
| | - Weiwei Peng
- School of Psychology, Shenzhen University, Nanhai Ave 3688, Shenzhen, 518060, Guangdong, China.
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Turner JA, Padgett C, McDonald S, Ahuja KD, Francis HM, Lim CK, Honan CA. Innate immunity impacts social-cognitive functioning in people with multiple sclerosis and healthy individuals: Implications for IL-1ra and urinary immune markers. Brain Behav Immun Health 2021; 14:100254. [PMID: 34589763 PMCID: PMC8474509 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbih.2021.100254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Social-cognitive difficulties can negatively impact interpersonal communication, shared social experience, and meaningful relationships. This pilot investigation examined the relationship between social-cognitive functioning and inflammatory markers in people with multiple sclerosis (MS) and demographically-matched healthy individuals. Additionally, we compared the immune marker profile in serum and urine-matched samples. Social cognitive functioning was objectively assessed using The Awareness of Social Inference Test - Short (TASIT-S) and subjectively assessed using self-reports of abilities in emotion recognition, emotional empathy, and cognitive theory of mind. In people with MS and healthy individuals, there were moderate-to-large negative relationships between pro-inflammatory biomarkers (serum IL-1β, IL-17, TNF-α, IP-10, MIP-1α, and urine IP-10, MIP-1β) of the innate immune system and social-cognitive functioning. In MS, a higher serum concentration of the anti-inflammatory marker IL-1ra was associated with better social-cognitive functioning (i.e., self-reported emotional empathy and TASIT-S sarcasm detection performance). However, there were mixed findings for anti-inflammatory serum markers IL-4 and IL-10. Overall, our findings indicate a relationship between pro-inflammatory cytokines and social-cognitive abilities. Future studies may provide greater insight into biologically-derived inflammatory processes, sickness behaviour, and their connection with social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason A. Turner
- School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart and Launceston, Australia
| | - Christine Padgett
- School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart and Launceston, Australia
| | - Skye McDonald
- School of Psychology, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Kiran D.K. Ahuja
- School of Health Sciences, University of Tasmania, Launceston, Australia
| | | | - Chai K. Lim
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia
| | - Cynthia A. Honan
- School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart and Launceston, Australia
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Meidan A, Uzefovsky F. Child maltreatment risk mediates the association between maternal and child empathy. Child Abuse Negl 2020; 106:104523. [PMID: 32485322 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2020.104523] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Revised: 04/10/2020] [Accepted: 05/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Empathy deficits are related to parental maltreatment, and early exposure to maltreatment is associated with later impairments in social and interpersonal skills, possibly as the result of specific deficits in cognitive and emotional empathy. OBJECTIVE To examine the association between maternal and child's emotional and cognitive empathy, and how this relationship is mediated by maltreatment risk. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING 462 mothers of 4-10 years olds (48 % girls; M = 6.51 ± 1.57) were recruited through an online platform (Prolific Inc.) during 2018. METHODS Mothers were asked to report on their own cognitive and emotional empathy, views related to abuse risk, and their child's cognitive and emotional empathy. RESULTS Findings show that maternal perspective taking (a measure of cognitive empathy), and maternal personal distress predict child's cognitive empathy through abuse risk (beta = -0.29, p value = 0.0002 and beta = 0.22, p value = 0.0001, respectively). Conversely, for child's emotional empathy there was no mediation through abuse risk, rather direct associations were observed for empathic concern (a measure of emotional empathy; beta = 0.36, p value = 0.0197), personal distress (beta = 0.23, p value = 0.0332), and the fantasy scale (another measure of cognitive empathy; beta = 0.36, p value = 0.0019). CONCLUSIONS These findings help clarify the complex links between maternal empathy, abuse risk, and child's empathy, showing that maternal views related to abuse are specifically predictive of child's cognitive but not emotional empathy. As such, these findings raise further questions regarding the mechanism by which maternal characteristics and behavior are associated with child's empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Meidan
- Psychology department & Zlotowski center for neuroscience, Ben Gurion University in the Negev, Israel
| | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Psychology department & Zlotowski center for neuroscience, Ben Gurion University in the Negev, Israel.
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Shalev I, Uzefovsky F. Empathic disequilibrium in two different measures of empathy predicts autism traits in neurotypical population. Mol Autism 2020; 11:59. [PMID: 32660537 PMCID: PMC7359469 DOI: 10.1186/s13229-020-00362-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2020] [Accepted: 07/02/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Features of autism spectrum conditions (ASC) are normally distributed within the population, giving rise to the notion of the autism spectrum. One of the hallmark features of ASC is difficulties in social communication, which relies heavily on our ability to empathize with others. Empathy comprises of both cognitive (CE) and emotional (EE) components that, together, allow us to understand another’s emotions and be affected by them appropriately, while maintaining a self-other distinction. Although CE and EE depend on distinct neural and developmental trajectories, it was suggested that the two empathic capacities can influence, balance, and regulate each other. Previous findings regarding the role of emotional and cognitive empathy in ASC have been mixed. Therefore, our study aimed to investigate whether the intra-personal empathy imbalance between the cognitive and emotional components, a measure we termed empathic disequilibrium (ED), can be associated with autism traits at the neurotypical range. Methods Participants were 671 young-adults at the neurotypical range who self-reported their empathy, assessed using two highly validated questionnaires—the Interpersonal Reactivity Index and the Empathy Quotient, autism traits using the Autism-Spectrum Quotient, and the related traits, alexithymia, and systemizing. Results Controlling for the total empathy score, greater ED was found to be positively correlated with autism traits. Specifically, autism traits were found to be elevated in groups of individuals with relatively higher EE than CE, underscoring their imbalance. Conclusions Our study offers a novel perspective on the understanding of the social difficulties associated with autism tendencies in the general population and has potentially important clinical implications for understanding of ASC. We also propose a novel characterization of autism tendencies based on the imbalance between EE and CE, which we term ED, as opposed to examining EE and CE separately.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ido Shalev
- Department of Psychology Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beersheba, Israel.,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel
| | - Florina Uzefovsky
- Department of Psychology Ben Gurion University of the Negev, 84105, Beersheba, Israel. .,Zlotowski Center for Neuroscience Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beersheba, Israel.
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Kim EJ, Son JW, Park SK, Chung S, Ghim HR, Lee S, Lee SI, Shin CJ, Kim S, Ju G, Park H, Lee J. Cognitive and Emotional Empathy in Young Adolescents: an fMRI Study. Soa Chongsonyon Chongsin Uihak 2020; 31:121-130. [PMID: 32665756 PMCID: PMC7350548 DOI: 10.5765/jkacap.200020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2020] [Revised: 05/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/01/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Objectives We investigated the differences in cognitive and emotional empathic ability between adolescents and adults, and the differences of the brain activation during cognitive and emotional empathy tasks. Methods Adolescents (aged 13–15 years, n=14) and adults (aged 19–29 years, n=17) completed a range of empathic ability questionnaires and were scanned functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during both cognitive and emotional empathy task. Differences in empathic ability and brain activation between the groups were analyzed. Results Both cognitive and emotional empathic ability were significantly lower in the adolescent compared to the adult group. Comparing the adolescent to the adult group showed that brain activation was significantly greater in the right transverse temporal gyrus (BA 41), right insula (BA 13), right superior parietal lobule (BA 7), right precentral gyrus (BA 4), and right thalamus whilst performing emotional empathy tasks. No brain regions showed significantly greater activation in the adolescent compared to the adult group while performing cognitive empathy task. In the adolescent group, scores of the Fantasy Subscale in the Interpersonal Reactivity Index, which reflects cognitive empathic ability, negatively correlated with activity of right superior parietal lobule during emotional empathic situations (r=-0.739, p=0.006). Conclusion These results strongly suggest that adolescents possess lower cognitive and emotional empathic abilities than adults do and require compensatory hyperactivation of the brain regions associated with emotional empathy or embodiment in emotional empathic situation. Compensatory hyperactivation in the emotional empathy-related brain areas among adolescents are likely associated with their lower cognitive empathic ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun Jin Kim
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Jung-Woo Son
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | | | - Seungwon Chung
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Hei-Rhee Ghim
- Department of Psychology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Seungbok Lee
- Department of Psychology, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Sang-Ick Lee
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Chul-Jin Shin
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Siekyeong Kim
- Department of Neuropsychiatry, College of Medicine, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Gawon Ju
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Hyemi Park
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
| | - Jeonghwan Lee
- Department of Psychiatry, Chungbuk National University Hospital, Cheongju, Korea
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Abramson L, Uzefovsky F, Toccaceli V, Knafo-Noam A. The genetic and environmental origins of emotional and cognitive empathy: Review and meta-analyses of twin studies. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 114:113-133. [PMID: 32353470 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.03.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2019] [Revised: 02/20/2020] [Accepted: 03/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is considered a cornerstone of human social experience, and as such has been widely investigated from psychological and neuroscientific approaches. To better understand the factors influencing individual differences in empathy, we reviewed and meta-analyzed the behavioral genetic literature of emotional empathy- sharing others' emotions (k=13), and cognitive empathy- understanding others' emotions (k = 15), as manifested in twin studies. Results showed that emotional empathy is more heritable, 48.3 % [41.3 %-50.6 %], than cognitive empathy, 26.9 % [18.1 %-35.8 %]. Moreover, cognitive empathy as examined by performance tests was affected by the environment shared by family members, 11.9 % [2.6 %-21.0 %], suggesting that emotional understanding is influenced, to some degree, by environmental factors that have similar effects on family members beyond their genetic relatedness. The effects of participants' age and the method used to asses empathy on the etiology of empathy were also examined. These findings have implications for understanding how individual differences in empathy are formed. After discussing these implications, we suggest theoretical and methodological future research directions that could potentially elucidate the relations between genes, brain, and empathy.
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Uzefovsky F, Shalev I, Israel S, Edelman S, Raz Y, Mankuta D, Knafo-Noam A, Ebstein RP. Oxytocin receptor and vasopressin receptor 1a genes are respectively associated with emotional and cognitive empathy. Horm Behav 2015; 67:60-5. [PMID: 25476609 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2014.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2014] [Revised: 10/28/2014] [Accepted: 11/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Empathy is the ability to recognize and share in the emotions of others. It can be considered a multifaceted concept with cognitive and emotional aspects. Little is known regarding the underlying neurochemistry of empathy and in the current study we used a neurogenetic approach to explore possible brain neurotransmitter pathways contributing to cognitive and emotional empathy. Both the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) and the arginine vasopressin receptor 1a (AVPR1a) genes contribute to social cognition in both animals and humans and hence are prominent candidates for contributing to empathy. The following research examined the associations between polymorphisms in these two genes and individual differences in emotional and cognitive empathy in a sample of 367 young adults. Intriguingly, we found that emotional empathy was associated solely with OXTR, whereas cognitive empathy was associated solely with AVPR1a. Moreover, no interaction was observed between the two genes and measures of empathy. The current findings contribute to our understanding of the distinct neurogenetic pathways involved in cognitive and emotional empathy and underscore the pervasive role of both oxytocin and vasopressin in modulating human emotions.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Uzefovsky
- Psychology Department, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91501, Israel; Autism Research Centre, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.
| | - I Shalev
- Department of Biobehavioral Health, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
| | - S Israel
- Psychology Department, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91501, Israel
| | - S Edelman
- Psychology Department, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91501, Israel
| | - Y Raz
- Neurobiology, Hebrew University, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - D Mankuta
- Hadassah Medical Organization, Department of Labor and Delivery, Jerusalem, Israel
| | - A Knafo-Noam
- Psychology Department, Hebrew University, Jerusalem 91501, Israel
| | - R P Ebstein
- Psychology Department, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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Dehning S, Reiß E, Krause D, Gasperi S, Meyer S, Dargel S, Müller N, Siebeck M. Empathy in high-tech and high-touch medicine. Patient Educ Couns 2014; 95:259-264. [PMID: 24589130 DOI: 10.1016/j.pec.2014.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2013] [Revised: 01/08/2014] [Accepted: 01/18/2014] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Surgeons and psychiatrists have been described as two contrary groups, the one healing by hands and the other by words. Empathy is needed in every physician-patient relationship. We tested whether (1) surgeons and psychiatrists show different levels of cognitive and emotional empathy; (2) measurements of cognitive and emotional empathy correlate with physician-specific empathy; and (3) gender, experience, and career choices are influencing factors. METHODS 56 surgeons and 50 psychiatrists participated. We measured empathy with the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy (JSPE), cognitive empathy with the Reading the Mind in the Eyes Test Revised (RME-R6), and emotional empathy with the Balanced Emotional Empathy Scale (BEES). RESULTS Male psychiatrists scored significantly higher than that of male surgeons (118.0±9.86 vs. 107.5±13.84; p=0.0006) in the JSPE. Analytically trained psychiatrists scored significantly higher in the JSPE than that of behaviorally trained psychiatrists (p=0.024, F test, adjusted for gender). Both the RME and the BEES correlated positively with the JSPE. CONCLUSION Higher scores for empathy were found in male psychiatrists than in male surgeons. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS Further research is needed to learn about the effects of general medical training on empathy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra Dehning
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Eva Reiß
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Daniela Krause
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany.
| | - Sarah Gasperi
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Sebastian Meyer
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Sascha Dargel
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Norbert Müller
- Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
| | - Matthias Siebeck
- Department of Surgery, Ludwig Maximilian University, Munich, Germany
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